Saturday, September 21, 2019

Straw man review of Klein's Green New Deal

Here's the review on the dangers of optimism. He claims that she engages in techno-optimism and avoids the problem of overconsumption. And yet he admits: "I want to emphasize key points Klein makes that I agree are essential to a left/progressive analysis of the ecological crises: First-World levels of consumption are unsustainable." "On Fire makes it clear that there are no magic wands to wave, no magic bullets to fire." "Klein does not advocate such [techno-optimism] fundamentalism." And yes, we do need tech to get it done.

I also do not see anywhere in GND advocates the notion that it's enough to solve all problems. It is indeed like the author suggests, that it's a start with a lot more to come. That the author lays that straw on advocates of the GND seems far more projection than fact.

After much huffing and puffing about the dangers of optimism the author then shows exactly how much Klein empathizes with the suffering caused by neoliberalism and its extractive destruction. I thought she was being too rosy and optimistic? Klein is doing anything but "avoiding the distressing realities of our time."


And then there's the critics who constantly decry her lack of addressing overpopulation, to which she recently replied via Tweet

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